That’s What Friends Are For
by F.A. Star Hawk
Summary: Kotarou, although he’s to stubborn to admit it, is feeling a bit down after Akaba transfers, thus Juri takes it upon herself to cheer him up. One-Shot.


FASH: Another one shot, because I need to write short things or else I'll keel over.

Disclaimer: Why do I even bother to write disclaimers for Eyeshield fics anymore?

""-speech

''-thoughts

It was two minutes until the final bell rang, by all means Juri should have been elated that school was almost over, they didn't have practice that afternoon so she could go straight home once school was finished. But she wasn't.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she gazed at her clearly depressed friend. Akaba's transfer had shaken up most of the remaining team, but it was clear that, even though he was far too stubborn to admit it, Kotarou was the most effected by it.

'Honestly, with the way he argued with Akaba-kun you'd think he'd be happy he was gone.'

But he wasn't and a depressed Kotarou wasn't something she liked putting up with for long periods of time.

The bell rang and while her classmates were streaming out of the classroom, excitedly talking about what they would be doing on the weekend, she strode towards Kotarou and tapped his shoulder, the small smile she had managed to conjure up fading when he looked up at her with the eyes of a kicked puppy.

"Listen Kotarou, just because they all transferred at the same time doesn't mean he transferred because of them."

Kotarou frowned and whipped out his comb, running it through his hair with quick flicks of his wrist in a way that told Juri he didn't feel like discussing this, but what kind of friend would she be if she just allowed him to keep on angsting while vainly try pretend he was alright?

"Come on Kotarou, it's not his fault his dad transferred." The boy didn't respond and kept combing his hair, the look of irritation on his face not quite reaching his eyes.

'If he doesn't cheer up soon it'll drag down the moral of the whole team, not that it isn't low already.' She bit her lip nervously, a game was coming up soon and they couldn't afford to get distracted by their negative emotions.

'But what would cheer him up?... I know!' She snapped her fingers and grinned. "Hey Kotarou, do you want to go out with me tonight?"

Immediately Kotarou stopped his combing and gave her a shocked look. "Go... Out?" "As friends! As friends! Don't get the wrong idea or anything, it's just that watching you mope is bad for my complexion." Kotarou cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Why would I be moping? I'm happy all those bastards are gone."

Juri resisted the strong urge to roll her eyes. "If you say so, now, do you want to go out or not?"

Kotarou's eyes widened slightly, as if he thought the offer would be taken back. "Sure Julie, I'd really like that."

"Good, now come on, there's this new café I've been wanting to check out for a while. We'll go there first." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his chair, calmly ignoring how Kotarou commented on how 'not smart' it was for him to be dragged around by a girl.

The café, according to Juri's standards, was wonderful, the coffee was fabulous and the strawberry shortcake was to die for.

But Kotarou never went to cafes, so he didn't appreciate the atmosphere, he drank water instead of coffee and he seemed to develop a sudden hatred for strawberries. (Juri assume that it was because they were red and Kotarou didn't want to be reminded of other red things, like Akaba's eyes.)

'Well, this isn't working.' In fact with Kotarou mopping in such a cheery atmosphere he seemed even more depressed then before.

"Hey, where do you want to go to next?" She asked and Kotarou shrugged, apparently set on being solely unhelpful.

"Come on, there must be something you want to do. It's the weekend, we don't have school or morning practice tomorrow."

Kotarou remained silent and broody, Juri nearly shuddered at him remaining like this, so un-Kotarou-like, for long periods of time.

"Let's go to a movie, I sure there's a couple out you'd like." Frankly she didn't care what she had to drag him into: a chick flick in an attempt to get him to cry, a action/adventure to get him excited, a horror/thriller that would have them both screaming like lunatics, she just wanted him to show an emotion other than mild irritation dammit!

She once again began dragging him around, taking careful not of how Kotarou didn't even bother mentioning how 'not smart' it was for him to be dragged around by a girl.

'By the Gods, why does he have to be so difficult?'

They ended up going to a romantic comedy, which turned out to be a not so good idea on her part.

Kotarou had his own certain brand of humor. Some things that amused others didn't amuse him and some things that amused him sure as hell didn't amuse her.

He was eerily quite for the entire movie, so quite that Juri felt completely awkward after every giggle she let escape.

And it didn't help that the male lead happened to be a guitarist, she probably should have done a bit more research before she chose which movie to go to.

They left the theater in silence, trekking over to Kotarou's neighborhood .

'Man, I'm bad at this cheering up stuff, this would have been so much easier if Kotarou were female.' She wrung her hands together awkwardly as they approached his house.

"Listen Kotarou, I'm sorry this didn't work out as well as I thought it would, but you've really got to cheer up."

Kotarou made a move to say something but Juri quickly silenced him. "And don't you dare say that you're not depressed! I've known you since before I can remember, so I know you well enough to read your moods. Sure Akaba-kun left, but it's not like he wanted to and we've still got the kick team, it'll all turn out alright."

Kotarou sighed, running his index finger over the teeth of his comb in a slow, contemplative manner. "I suppose you're right." "Of course I am, and remember, if you ever need to talk about anything I'm willing to listen. Goodnight." She turned around to walk away.

"Hey Julie." She paused and was pulled into a hug.

"Thanks for caring." He practically whispered, the words muffled ever further since he seemed to be speaking into her hair.

Any other day if Kotarou had pulled her into an unannounced hug she would have easily squirmed out of it and given him hell. But she'd let it pass, today.

"Hey, what are friends for?"


End file.
